The Official Blog of the Baseball Hall of Fame

Grunberg is a Hero Among the Heroes

The former co-star of NBC’s “Heroes” has over 1.4 million Twitter followers, he created an iPhone application called “Yowza” and jumpstarted the website talkaboutit.org to bring awareness to epilepsy.

But on Tuesday morning, Grunberg took a step back in time when he walked into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The 45-year-old actor was in town watching his kids play at a local baseball camp and decided to make the trip to the Museum.

In typical Grunberg fashion, he broke the news that he would be coming to the Hall of Fame via Twitter on June 19.

Grunberg acted on shows such as “Heroes”, “NYPD Blue” and “Lost” but even he couldn’t contain his excitement when he toured the Giamatti Research Center.

Like it is with his kids, baseball was an integral part of Grunberg’s childhood.

“I’ve always been a big baseball fan,” Grunberg said. “I grew up a Dodger fan living in L.A. and my dad and I had season tickets.”

Grunberg and company were taken into the archive, where they were shown a variety of preserved artifacts. When he wasn’t whipping out his iPhone to snap a picture of an artifact, Grunberg learned about the Hall of Fame’s efforts in the digital age.

It should come as no surprise that Grunberg took to social media to advocate a movement. Grunberg worked on a television show pilot with actress Joanna Garcia, who is married to New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher. Grunberg has since developed a friendship with the power couple.

“They are just the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” Grunberg said.

On Monday afternoon, Grunberg tweeted a message campaigning for all to vote his pal Swisher into the All-Star Game. Besides digital support, Grunberg met with Swisher after a Yankees game earlier in the month.

The duo was walking through the tunnel when Grunberg spotted Hall of Fame outfielder Reggie Jackson. Grunberg, who happened to be wearing Jackson’s No. 44 Yankees jersey, wanted to introduce himself to the man they call, “Mr. October.” Jackson initially hesitated. But once Jackson saw the jersey, Grunberg said he couldn’t have been more accommodating.

“To me, anybody can be an actor,” Grunberg said. “But to be an athlete on that level using God-given talent is so special. I get choked up just talking to them.”

Connor O’Gara is the 2012 public relations intern in the Hall of Fame’s Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development

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